Mitigating Insider Threats

An insider threat refers to an individual entrusted with access to or knowledge of an organisation’s operational components, personnel, physical assets, networks, systems or technology. These individuals may include current or former employees, vendors, suppliers, investors, business partners or other third-party collaborators. Due to their understanding of and unique privileges to such sensitive information and resources, insider threats can potentially compromise organisations’ most valuable assets and leave them increasingly vulnerable to cyber-attacks, regardless of whether these individuals do so intentionally or unintentionally.

According to IT company Cybersecurity Insiders, 74% of organisations are at least moderately vulnerable to insider threats and the average insider threat event costs almost £600,000. Therefore, understanding the dangers of insider threats and leveraging robust risk-mitigation measures is critical. Organisations can consider the following tips:

• Know the signs. Several key signs may suggest the presence of insider threats, including individuals conducting troubling business transactions, working irregular hours without authorisation, carelessly breaching organisational rules or acting erratically. Looking out for these signs can help organisations proactively mitigate insider threats.
• Leverage access controls. Organisations should apply the principle of least privilege (POLP), where they only provide employees and third party collaborators with access to the systems, networks and data they need to do their jobs and nothing more. This principle helps limit an insider threat’s resources, making it harder for them to compromise anything but their own accounts.
• Utilise threat monitoring and detection solutions. Organisations should utilise threat monitoring and detection tools to identify unusual and potentially harmful activities, allowing them to respond faster, limiting losses should an insider threat occur.
• Safeguard sensitive data. Because insider threat events commonly target confidential company information, organisations should implement sufficient safeguards, including encrypting and backing up data.

Additionally, organisations should continually foster a strong security culture, including providing regular workforce cyber security training.

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Understanding Juice Jacking

Juice jacking refers to a type of cyber-attack in which a malicious actor gains access to a device connected to a public USB charging station, such as those found in airports or hotel foyers. Once the perpetrator has breached the device, they pose numerous threats, including the ability to steal data, load malicious software onto the device or disable it completely. Although it’s unclear how common this cyber-attack method is within the UK, a USB port can be used to both charge a device and transfer data, making juice jacking technically possible. Consequently, the FBI recently issued guidance warning people against using free charging stations.

In light of this emerging cyber-threat, organisations may wish to implement measures to reduce the risk of juice jacking, especially if some of their workforce frequently travels for work purposes. Employers and employees can consider the following measures:

• Provide employee education. Educating employees about cyber security threats, such as juice jacking, can help them be aware of these risks and learn how to mitigate them.
• Avoid public charging stations. Avoiding the use of public USB charging stations altogether is the best way to eliminate the risks of juice jacking presents. Ensuring devices are adequately charged before trips and employing battery saving methods such as darkening the screen display can help accomplish this goal.
• Use AC plug sockets and a personal charger. Bringing a personal charger ND finding a plug socket to connect it to can allow employees to charge their batteries without having to rely on public USB ports.
• Carry a charging only cable or USB data blocker. A charging only cable does not allow data to transfer so users can add a layer of protection between the charging station and their device. Similarly, a USB data blocker is a small device that id plugged in between a user’s device and a charging port to prevent data transfer while allowing charging.
• Check security settings. Individuals should review their device’s security settings to ensure they are not set to allow automatic data transfer upon connection to an outside device. Furthermore, if prompted they should select “charge only”.

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2024 Cyber Security Breaches survey findings

Cyber-attacks continue to occur frequently across UK organisations. According to the government’s 2024 Cyber Security Breaches Survey, half of businesses and almost a third of charities experienced some form of cyber-security breach or attack in 2023. Of these, more than 1 in 10 experienced a disruptive outcome, such as a temporary loss of network and files, website downtime or compromised accounts.

Disruptions associated with cyber-breaches may hamper workforce productivity or even lead to regulatory penalties. The government found that the average cost of the single most disruptive breach per organisation in 2023 was £1,205, rising to £10,830 for medium and larger businesses.

Organisations must implement a range of cyber-security strategies to reduce financial losses. However, only 22% of businesses and 19% of charities had a formal cyber-incident response plan last year, suggesting there is room for improvement as it pertains to managing and responding to cyber-incidents. Additionally, supply chain security may need addressing across UK organisations. In fact, only 11% of businesses and 9% of charities formally reviewed the potential cyber-security risks presented by their immediate supply chains in 2023, the government found.

Contact us today to understand where your organisation could improve its cyber-security efforts.